Heavy Punch Strike!

Bzzzzzz—

With that piercing crackle of electricity, the wall was instantly shattered by Kitagawa Gen himself, and the surging current stabbed straight toward Kimimaro's chest!

"Look out!"

Just as the purple current was about to hit Kimimaro, Jugo suddenly stepped forward and, ignoring the burns on his body, blocked the attack with everything he had.

The flesh shield on his arm was pierced straight through, and in the next instant he was kicked flying, dragging Kimimaro back with him!

"Don't get distracted, Kimimaro. That guy's Purple Electricity isn't simple."

Only after they steadied themselves did Jugo speak in a low voice, panting slightly.

"Jugo."

Kimimaro looked at Jugo beside him and could not help pressing his lips together.

He had always been considered a very polite person, unless the matter involved Orochimaru.

And now this guy had actually used such a despicable method, nearly making him shatter Lord Orochimaru's statue.

No!

It had already been shattered, and this guy had taken the initiative to shatter it himself!

"I know, Jugo."

Though Kimimaro's gaze was still filled with rage, it had also calmed considerably, only the Cursed Seal was spreading across his body.

"We'll take this guy down together!"

"Be careful, Kimimaro. Your body."

Seeing this, Jugo could not help reminding him, but Kimimaro shook his head. Bone spikes had already appeared on his chest.

"Now isn't the time to discuss that. What we need to do now is make up for our mistake."

"Done talking?"

Just as they were exchanging words in low voices, Kitagawa Gen suddenly spoke and interrupted them.

"I can tell you seem to respect Orochimaru a lot. Even in that situation just now, you didn't make a move?"

"."

Kimimaro did not want to speak anymore, and Jugo seemed to know Kitagawa Gen was deliberately provoking them. He glared at Kitagawa Gen, then said in a low voice.

"I'll go first. Follow me."

The moment he finished speaking, Jugo had already charged out, while Kimimaro followed quickly in perfect tacit understanding.

Jugo's constitution was special. His injuries could continuously recover, so he was naturally more suited to taking the first wave of offense.

"Coming, are you?"

Kitagawa Gen raised his brows, and in the next instant, the Purple Electricity in his hand became even more dazzling. In a flash, he charged straight out as well!

"So fast."

Jugo only felt his vision blur, and Kitagawa Gen had already rushed right in front of him.

Looking at that purple lightning, he had no time to think and threw a punch straight out!

Boom—

In an instant, a low, muffled blast spread out along with a shockwave visible to the naked eye!

The next moment, cracks appeared in the ground beneath their feet, spreading outward several meters in an instant.

But Jugo's expression was ugly. His fist had actually been blocked by the curtain of light formed from Kitagawa Gen's Purple Electricity, and the surging current made his body go numb!

"That Purple Electricity not only has extremely strong piercing power, it can defend too?"

Kimimaro, who was following behind Jugo, quickly analyzed it inwardly, and he also seized the chance to move.

"Dance of the Camellia!"

Kimimaro's figure seemed to turn into a phantom, swaying gently, yet the bone sword in his hand had already stabbed precisely at Kitagawa Gen!

"Pretty fast."

Kitagawa Gen turned his head slightly. Looking at Kimimaro's movements, the Purple Electricity in his hand rippled faintly.

In a sudden flash of flowing light, his Purple Electricity instantly sliced across Kimimaro's bone sword with precision!

Crack—

Under Kimimaro's stunned gaze, he saw a notch actually appear in the bone sword!

"This..."

His bones were extremely hard. Under normal circumstances, he basically would never encounter something like this, but today, Kitagawa Gen had shattered that belief!

"That Purple Electricity... actually has an unimaginable sharpness too?"

Three traits that could almost be called completely different had actually appeared in the same technique.

Even though Kimimaro specialized in taijutsu, he knew just how unbelievable that was!

"Hah!"

At that moment, Jugo seemed to have recovered somewhat. Without the slightest hesitation, he strengthened his right arm again and blasted straight toward Kitagawa Gen's side.

Kimimaro stopped thinking further and instantly drew another bone sword from his body, cooperating with Jugo as they attacked together.

"Dance of the Larch!"

Facing the pincer attack from the two of them, Kitagawa Gen remained extremely calm. His body twisted lightly, and the instant he avoided Jugo's fist, he swept out with a kick.

Bang—

Another low, muffled impact rang out. Jugo was kicked flying hard, snapping a large tree nearby.

At the same time, he lifted his hand wrapped in Purple Electricity forward, and the Purple Electricity instantly turned into a curtain of light, firmly catching Kimimaro's attack.

But now Jugo charged over once again, and for a time, the three of them tangled together in battle!

Boom, boom, boom—

In an instant, their exchange flashed with several afterimages. The trees, grass, and stones around them either collapsed or were directly smashed to pieces under their clash!

Kimimaro's taijutsu was relatively agile, while Jugo was straightforward and direct. The two of them could be considered complementary, and their coordination was extremely smooth.

Only...

They discovered in shock that the two of them were actually being suppressed by Kitagawa Gen alone!

Kitagawa Gen's speed and the ferocity of his moves left them utterly dazzled.

Especially the Purple Electricity in his hand, which combined offense and defense. For a time, it pressed them so hard they could hardly tell which way was up!

"This guy clearly looks about the same age as us. How is the gap so huge?"

The two of them could not figure it out, and Kimimaro in particular felt even worse.

During the Kaguya Clan's rebellion, he had been sealed away since childhood because his Shikotsumyaku was too strong and made his clansmen fear him. Yet even without receiving any real training, he had still been able to rely on instinct to deal with those Mist Ninja.

And after following Orochimaru, he had received ample training, and his taijutsu had improved by leaps and bounds. He could better bring out his Kekkei Genkai!

But now, facing Kitagawa Gen, even in a two-against-one situation, they had ended up like this. It filled his heart with guilt.

He felt he had let Orochimaru down.

The two of them had complicated emotions, but Kitagawa Gen appeared extremely composed, because he knew this was normal.

"Kimimaro's Cursed Seal doesn't seem to have developed to the second stage yet. Otherwise, he would have activated it long ago. And Jugo won't casually release his murderous impulse. If he does, he'll completely lose control."

Aside from that, they also had not yet grown to the level they would reach later, while Kitagawa Gen had been growing rapidly during this period!

"If I still can't deliver a heavy punch strike like this, then I'd be letting down all the effort and sweat I've put in along the way..."

Kitagawa Gen was very clear on where his own problems lay: his combat experience and his use of various techniques were still far from enough.

But that did not mean he was incapable!

Against those true powerhouses, he might cut a sorry figure, but against them, he could still deliver a heavy punch strike.

Boom—

During the continued melee, an intense Chakra reaction suddenly came from the distance.

The next moment, a colossal creature like a small mountain suddenly appeared, its tremendous power shaking the earth until it swayed!

"That's..."

This scene immediately scattered the attention of all three of them, but Kitagawa Gen reacted extremely quickly.

Buzz—

With a piercing explosion, he punched Jugo in the chest. The force was so great that Jugo was instantly sent flying backward!

Amid flying rubble and dust that filled the sky, he smashed heavily into a huge boulder.

"Jugo!"

Kimimaro was somewhat worried, but Kitagawa Gen had already appeared in front of him like a ghost.

Bzzzzzz—

Purple lightning shrieked, and in the next instant it turned into a hand blade, slashing viciously across Kimimaro's chest.

Pfft—

Amid the sound of flesh being cut, Kitagawa Gen directly sliced open his chest!

"Hm?"

Kitagawa Gen raised his brows. He did not see blood splattering everywhere, and the sensation just now had also been different, but he soon understood what was going on.

"You used a bone membrane as a defense and blocked it in front of your chest. I have to say, your Kekkei Genkai really is pretty good."

Kimimaro quickly flashed backward. He did not answer Kitagawa Gen, only stared fixedly at him.

His chest had been completely cut open, and just as Kitagawa Gen had said, beneath it was a white bone membrane protecting him!

"Unfortunately, that's as far as it goes. Looks like Orochimaru hasn't cultivated you enough. In that case, it's time to end this."

Kitagawa Gen paid no attention to Kimimaro's state. The Purple Electricity in his hand shone again. He planned to cut off a complete piece of Kimimaro's flesh, and at the same time take a bone.

He did not know what the mission reward would be, but he knew what it meant to be prepared for anything!

But just as he was about to make his move, Kimimaro suddenly raised his head. His face was now incomparably pale, and blood was spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Don't you dare speak of Lord Orochimaru that way. I'm the one who still isn't good enough. For Lord Orochimaru's reputation..."

"Even if it costs me my life, I'll complete the final dance!"

"Dance of the Larch!"